All families have value – equality cannot be based on citizenship

Intercultural families must be treated equally. In recent months, worrying proposals have been floated by the Finnish government to limit the social security of intercultural families in terms of home care support. The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman also sees the proposal as problematic in terms of the Constitution and the Equality Act (YLE 13.5.2025). If the plan goes through as is, it would also limit the right of Finnish citizens to receive social security based on their spouse's citizenship and the time they have lived in the EU. The change continues the previous strict line regarding immigrants and immigration. The message to intercultural families seems to be increasingly clear that our families are not as valuable as families formed by native Finns.

"It seems that intercultural families are not even seen as a significant group in demographic terms, because the opportunities and conditions for permanent family life have already been tightened in terms of obtaining citizenship, permanent residence permits and now social security. All the changes indicate that Finns should not start a family with a foreigner", especially someone from outside the EU, says Anu Kytömäki, chairperson of Familia.
 
According to Statistics Finland, there were a total of 1,466,954 families living in Finland at the end of 2023. Of these families, 88,503 were families where one adult in the family was born in Finland and the other abroad. In addition, there were a total of 80,706 families in Finland where both adults in the family were born abroad, and of these, 17,380 were families where the adults in the family had a different country of birth. Multicultural families account for 11.5 % of all Finnish families. This is not a small number of families. These families and their well-being also have demographic policy significance.
 
In 2024, Finns entered into almost 2,900 marriages with foreign citizens, which was 13.5 % of all marriages entered into in Finland that year. We live in a global world where people may live in another country, find their partner and the parent of their children there. Article 16 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to form a family, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion. The declaration also states that the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
 
According to the National Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2023 the proportion of births of foreign origin among all births was already 17.3 percent. The total fertility rate of foreign-born people was 1.45 in 2023, which is slightly higher than the total fertility rate of 1.26 for the entire population (Statistics Finland). The changes that are now planned and implemented may drive Finnish intercultural families to move out of Finland or to decide not to return to Finland. But in addition, all these weaknesses in the stability of family life and social security may have an impact on the migration of international professionals with their families to Finland.
 
"The government's policy is not only xenophobic, but also illogical. Finland needs immigration and an increase in the birth rate due to its demographic structure, which has also been acknowledged by the government. It seems that the current administration is trying to achieve a 'pure' Finland, which has never existed even in Finnish history. Finland has always been a multicultural country", notes Familia's executive director Elina Helmanen.
 
It would be fairer if all government parties admitted that these legal changes make it difficult and inconvenient for multicultural families to settle and start a family in Finland, and that starting a family with foreign citizens is not as valuable as a family formed among the native population, instead of hiding the changes made behind the justifications of promoting integration. This would allow us to openly discuss the xenophobia and racism that the government is practicing with all these changes that affect multicultural families.
 
Additional information:
Anu Kytömäki, chairperson, Familia ry
[email protected]
 
Elina Helmanen, executive director, Familia ry
[email protected], 050 4335411